Setting Up Destiny
by AkiLynn
Summary: Planning destiny isn't easy. While the flow of time typically follows a set pattern, you still have to account for the unexpected. And sometimes the unexpected leads to something even greater. Or not. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we, Sora?


Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts

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_You know, it's amazing how often people take the little things for granted_. This was the sentiment that the Master of Masters had as he stared out at the never ending horizon. Seriously, it never cease to amaze him how often people misconstrued the details: they either hyper analyzed them and miss the bigger picture _or _they focused only on the bigger picture and paid no mind to the finer details. In fact, it's that little issue that, more often than not, was the reason things fell apart. The problem was only compounded when there was a missing piece to the puzzle; a small detail that was either lost or obscured. And once someone noticed there was a missing piece, all they would focus on was that missing piece, but usually not in the right way. The longer the piece remained lost the more likely the focus would shift from what the missing piece and how it fits the grander scheme of things to why it was missing or obscured and who did it. And as soon as one person discovered there was a missing piece, another would soon follow and then another and another. In time, what you have is a mess of people focusing on the _wrong _thing and it quickly devolves into a series of arguments and opinions that result in a convoluted dilemma where everyone is right and everyone is wrong and the entire situation collapses in on itself. Case and point, the roles of his apprentices. While some of the events that took place amongst his cute little students and their unions were expected, others were not. Which was why the grand plan he had orchestrated has been delayed for so long.

Staring out across the ocean as the first rays of daybreak emerged from the horizon, the Master of Masters shook his head. While his plan has taken a few detours here and there in the past, it has remained relatively on track. Based on _recent_ events, it seems that the last phase of preparation would be coming to a close soon. The scapegoat has already made his first moves, and while they ended in failure, the master of darkness had several backup plans in the works. _That cunning and dedication of his is admirable._ Thinking about what the dark master has and will do in the future, he added. _Well, almost._

Speaking of the old goat, he knew that the dark master's fall wouldn't happen for another decade or so. However, since his eye in No Name can only see when it's out and about, he has very little knowledge on what happened between the old man's first and second attempts of recreating the Keyblade War. Normally, he wouldn't sweat the details too much, _but _this was to be the final setup for his grand plan, so he should at least have some idea as to what would be the build up for this grand finale. That, and there was a certain little thing that caught his eye when he did see the scapegoat's fall.

Back when he was first writing the Book of Prophecies, the sights of the future were simultaneously fascinating and boring. The future, for the most part, followed a set pattern. While variability was still very much present, the overall path of the future wasn't very different than what preceded it. The day-to-day, though, different for different worlds and times was still a routine and there was still basic build-up to more momentous occasions. Very rarely was there something that he couldn't predict as he first viewed the future. However, when something unexpected did come up, _boy_ did things get interesting for awhile. Those were the really fun moments to write down and he enjoyed trying to backtrack to fit certain pieces together to figure out how the situation came to be.

This decade long gap was particularly interesting. While there were some blank points in the past, this was by far the longest one and clearly there was _a lot_ happening in the in-between for the ending to be so chaotic. So, it was only natural for the Master of Masters to see for himself what was happening during this blank period. Furthermore, that little detail he saw was something worth looking into.

To say he knew exactly how the scapegoat would met his end would be false. Sure, he had quite a few theories running around in his mind, but none of them came even close to what he was expecting. Based on what happened during the first attempt of the Keyblade War, he figured the small king and the old retired master would recruit and train new wielders to be full-fledged masters and clash in an epic war. He was not expecting a young, energetic and clearly self-trained teenager along with his dog and duck sidekicks to defeat the old goat. Honestly, the first time he saw it, he laughed. It was so unexpected.

Though unexpected, it proved to be _very_ interesting. The first time he saw the boy was when the dark master tried to turn him into one of his vessels. Not only that, the kid was asleep during the entire thing! While it was clear the sleep wasn't natural, it wasn't exactly a great first impression. So imagine his surprise when he saw that the dark master and his followers were gunning for the kid. While some of the dark followers had grudges against other guardians, it was still clear that they were focusing more on the kid. However, as he had watched the future, he slowly saw that there was a reason for it. While it looked like the King Keyblade Master and maybe the silver haired kid were the ringleaders of the guardians of light, it was clear as day that the true leader and, to be frank, the entire driving force of the group was the spiky-haired brunette. However, he didn't have a clue how in the World that came to be.

Clearly, _something_ was going on during that long blank period and more than he originally thought.

And that was why he was currently watching the waves of this small, peaceful world known as Destiny Islands. He wanted to see for himself what was going to happen during this blank point. That, and there was the matter of that _little_ detail he had noticed.

Lost in thought, the Master of Masters hadn't noticed the sun rising in the sky to midday. Which was why when the sounds of childish laughter reached his ears, he nearly had a heart attack. Startled out of his contemplative mood, he quickly turned around to see some children running around the beach of the little island he was on. Well, better make himself scarce for the time being. It probably wasn't best for strange grown men dressed in black to be seen with children. _Not exactly innocuous. _So he'll stick to the shadows and watch them from there. _Wait, that still sounds wrong._

Regardless, the Master of Masters melded into the shadows of the foliage of the island and watched as a trio of little kids chasing each other. And as fortune would have it, it was the trio of kids he was looking for, albeit their 5 year old counterparts: a silver-haired boy, a redhead little girl and a spiky haired brunette.

It was interesting to see this cheerful, innocent group knowing what they were going to go through. It was similar to remembering his apprentices when they were still young. Ira and Invi were always trying to be the _mature_ ones, Aced was easy to rile up _(and never outgrew that trait)_, Gula had began to show his inquisitive side and Ava was a sweet little thing that was always trying to help out the others. _Ah, good times._

Anyway. Back to the present, the kids in front of him _now_ were an interesting bunch. First, the silver-haired kid. Based on what he saw, this kid would become a Keyblade Master: one that practice both light _and _darkness. That was rare, very rare. Most assumed it was an all-or-nothing deal. However, it was very much possible for one to achieve balance, but not without hardship. Clearly the kid would be undergoing some serious trials of darkness, if that clone/double/whatever was anything to go by. Yeesh, that dark version of the kid was a cocky little brat. Regardless, it was fascinating to see a Keyblade Master of light and dark, and so young at that. Not that age was that much of a factor: Gula and Ava were excellent examples of that. Still it was quite uncommon and the fact that the other guardians of light were onboard with him on the team was impressive. Wielders of light tended to be, well, _biased_ when it comes to the darkness. Most had tended to shun anything related to the darkness in the past. For the others to accept him was saying something. But that probably had something to do with the other two.

Speaking of, he turned to the redhead and immediately winced. Yeah, the last time he saw her was when the old goat struck her down. He rubbed his back at the thought. _Poor girl. That was a rather unpleasant way to go. At least she was unconscious for it. _It was rather obvious that the girl shouldn't have been in that fight, or at the very least not on the front lines. While she was the first Princess of Heart keyblade wielder (which would give her an edge in the light department), it was painfully clear that the girl had little to no experience in combat. She could do the basics: summon her keyblade, use magic and had the basics of fighting down. That meant she was trained to some degree. Unfortunately, _some degree_ doesn't cut it for war, let alone a Keyblade War. Honestly, what did they think was going to happen? Some quick training and she was magically going to become a badass? He knows that there is such a thing as trial by fire, but there's a difference between a regular fire and a raging inferno that destroys everything in its path while the earth is falling apart. They had essentially led a lamb to the slaughter. Still, he suppose she could have done worse. The training had spared her immediate death at the start of the war. If she couldn't fight at all, she would never had made it to that maze or survived as long as she did against two well-experienced fighters.

And it's not like she was the only one struggling. That other redhead clearly had plenty of combat experience, but not so much via keyblade. Keyblades aren't the most intuitive weapons to learn and it's even worse if you're trying to adjust from a different fighting style. So it's not that surprising that the guy wasn't doing so hot, despite his affinity to fire. Actually, thinking back on it, the only ones that seemed to be able to hold their own from start to finish were the silver-haired kid, the small king and the spiky-haired one. The rest were struggling due one reason or another. Maybe the guardians of light should have had a training session or two_ (or ten)_ before they jumped into that fight. Might have gone a little smoother.

_I'm getting off track again. Right, back to the girl._

The girl may have been less than stellar when it came to combat, but it was clear her status of Princess of Heart made her quite powerful, just not in regards to fighting. He suspected she had something to do with the little reset that happened right at the beginning of the fight. He doubted she was the one that reset everything, but he was, like, 99.9% positive that she was the reason that the one who did remained alive. At least alive enough to save himself and the others. Honestly, it would have been stupid for the old guy _not_ to go after her. Not only was she a good way to rile up the spiky-haired kid, but she was a major pillar of support for all of them. Had they failed a second time after her death, they were all screwed. Especially Sora.

Which led the Master of Masters to turn his attention to said kid. Unlike the other two, Sora didn't have the aura of the keyblade. That power resonated from the other two quite easily and while most couldn't see it, it was obvious to him. Which begged the question: where did this kid get the power of the keyblade? He was clearly quite skilled and powerful when he faced the dark master. So at some point he had to have inherited or gained the power somehow. It was also clear that the kid was self-taught, which made his accomplishment all the more impressive. Yet outside of his obvious skill and power, the kid seemed entirely normal.

That wasn't the only thing that made the kid interesting. There was something else, a certain _little, tiny _detail that he picked up on. He didn't really pay any attention to it the first time he had seen the kid, since it was in the Realm of Sleep and the kid was about to become the old man's soul jar. So he had chalked it up to a funny coincidence. So, imagine his surprise when he saw it _again_ during the Second Keyblade War. Of all the things he had expected to see when gazing into the future, that was certainly not something he expected. He could only imagine what Luxu thought when he first saw it. The kid probably had a heart attack. And was probably cursing his name while at it. That being said, he was sure Luxu would have kept a very close eye on the kid after that, pun completely intended.

And that little detail was the main reason why he was on this little island hiding in the trees while he watched the kids play on the beach. _And that came out wrong again._ Anyway, he was here now. And who was he to disregard destiny?

He wanted to observe the kid more and get to know him. But in order to do that, he needed to get the kid away from his friends. _Yikes, I cannot make this _**not** _sound creepy at all, can I?_ While the other two were interesting, it was Sora that he had to talk to. This was going to be a _very_ important meeting and he can't have anyone other than himself know about it.

Thankfully, it seemed that today was his lucky day as the boy explored further down the shore and walked just out of sight of the other two. Seizing the opportunity, the Master of Masters uttered a quick time spell and froze everything. Everything except the kid.

Walking over to the boy, he decided blunt was the way to go, "Hey, kiddo! Wha'cha doing?"

Startled the boy turned from the shoreline to look up at the stranger. Surprise quickly melted into excitement on the boys face as he energetically asked, "Woah! Who are you? You look funny! Are you from another world like Kairi?"

The rapid fire response was hilarious. Not many kids would greet a stranger so openly, especially not ones with long black cloaks that hid their face. And that girl was not from this world? Interesting.

Laughing, the Master answered, "Let's just say I'm a traveller and yes, I'm not from here. I just came to look around that's all."

"Really!?" the boy's lit up, "That's so cool! Where are you from? What's it like? Have you been to other worlds, too?"

Man was this kid excitable. He got the feeling that the kid was usually the carefree, cheerful type from his eye, but the little kid version sure was hyper. He wondered if the older version was like that as well.

Kneeling down so he wasn't towering over the kid, he answered.

"The place I'm originally from is really far away and has changed quite a bit," _that was an understatement,_ "But I've travelled to quite a few places ever since. Would you like to hear about them?"

The kid was thrilled. Knowing that he was breaking several rules of current Keyblade doctrine, but not really caring, the Master regaled several stories and adventures that took place in many words. The boy loved it. He may have interrupted here and there to ask questions, but it honestly was adorable. He hadn't done anything like this since his apprentices were this young and that was a long time ago. And unfortunately, he seriously doubted they'd be willing to sit through storytime with him now. Oh well.

At some point, the kid managed to get him to play with him. It was fun, really fun. It was nice to just enjoy the beach for once. No plotting, no making sure the plan was on track. Just some fun with quite the interesting kid.

And boy, was the kid interesting.

He didn't notice when he was observing from the trees, but the kid was quite the pure heart. Not like the Princess, of course, but the kid didn't have a whole lot of darkness in him. While that might be because he was still a kid, it still was something to note. However, what was _really_ fascinating was the _other_ heart he was sensing. He knew no one would notice this, but since he was the _Master of Masters_, he could tell there was another heart being shielded by the kid's own. Somehow, the kid had a second heart inside him and more importantly, he _knew_ that heart. Not only from the previous attempt of the Keyblade War, but from _his_ time. Now how on earth did _this _come to be?

He guessed this union came to be due to the events of the first Keyblade War attempt, but there was something else that was still off. Why would _Ventus_ go to _Sora_? Something like this didn't occur at random. There had to have been a previous connection, in some fashion. However, with Sora so young and Ventus being that old man's apprentice, there really shouldn't have been time for…

Wait. He remembered what that old goat did. How he split the boy in two: light and dark. Initially, that dark half had no features. But after the old goat returned from nearly disposing of Ventus, that dark half's appearance looked just like…

But that happened five years ago, which would have meant… Well, damn this kid just got more and more interesting! Having a strong heart was one thing, but this? This was something he's never encountered before, at least not like this. _Yeah, this kid is _**completely** _normal._

_I wonder, just what else would this kid be capable of._

The Master managed to keep his little epiphany to himself as he continued to play with the kid. _Maybe what I saw wasn't as crazy as I thought._

"Hey, Sora."

The boy stopped running through the shallow water to turn to the man. Cheerful, curious eyes stared at him as he made his decision. _After all, you can't fight destiny._

"Yes, mister?"

"I'm going to have to leave in a bit. And unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to come back here anytime soon," the Master informed the boy. _It wasn't entirely a lie._

Predictably, the boy whined, "Aww! But we were having so much fun! You really won't be able to come back?"

Sighing dramatically and looking up at the sky, the Master answered, "Yes, sadly, I'm going to have to cut this meeting short. I've got places to go, people to see. That type of thing."

Looking back down at the kid, he almost regretted it. It was almost heartbreaking seeing the dejected pout on the kid's face.

"But…," the Master continued, the playful teasing clear in his voice, "I might have a special gift I could give you to remember, if you want."

As if a switch flipped, the boy went from sad to excited in an instant. "Really!? What is it!?"

"Uh-uh. I can't just tell you, now can I?" the Master teased, smiling under his hood, "Close your eyes and hold out your hands. And no peeking."

The boy immediately did as instructed, eyes firmly shut and hands outstretched and ready.

Chuckling at how trusting the kid was, the Master of Masters stood still for a moment before outstretching his own hand and summoned his Keyblade. It's been quite some time that he summoned his own keyblade. Other magic has served him well over the years and hasn't had a need for it in long while. Nevertheless, the cool metal was still familiar in his hand and the teeth still sharp and gleaming. Keeping an eye on the kid to make sure his eyes were still closed, he reached down to the keychain and removed it. The shape of the weapon didn't change, which wasn't surprising since this _was _his personal keyblade. Still, he dismissed the weapon, holding the small chain in his hand for a moment. A quick spell and the chain lengthened and the clasped changed until it suit his needs. Finally, he dropped the object into the boy's awaiting hands.

"You can open your eyes now."

The boy open his eyes and was surprised to see what was in his hands: a small silver necklace with a crown pendant.

"Cool!"

"Isn't it?" the Master laughed, "Now listen carefully, Sora. I'm going to need you to keep that with you at all times, okay?" The boy looked up, confused, but not at the fact the stranger knew his name without him telling him. "So long as you have this necklace with you, we'll be sure to meet again in the future. Understand?"

The boy stared in amazement for a moment, before nodding, "Okay!"

"Good boy," the Master ruffled his hair, making the kid giggle, "Also, I'm going to need you to keep this a secret, okay? No telling your friends or your parents, got it? Otherwise, the magic will disappear and we'll never see each other again."

Surprised, the boy gasped before whining, "Really? If I tell them about this, I won't get to see you again?"

"Nope! Sorry, but those are the rules," the Master said cheerfully. _Not that there are any rules, but gotta keep your bases covered._

The boy seemed to deflate for a moment before stealing his resolve, exclaiming, "Don't worry, mister! I won't tell them! I promise! I'm the best secret keeper ever!"

The Master had to keep himself from rolling over and laughing. This kid was just too cute! It reminded him of Gula before the kid become all scholarly.

Pulling himself together, but still struggling to keep his mirth in check, he replied, "I don't doubt that, kid. I'm sure you really are the best secret keeper. Ever. Of all time."

The kid smiled at the comment.

"However," the Master started, losing his mirth completely, "I'm going to make sure you don't tell anyone."

"Huh?"

Before the boy could question further, two fingers touched his forehead and a moment later, his senses dulled.

The boy's eyes glazed over as the memory magic did its work.

"Sorry, Sora, but this has to stay between us," the Master said solemnly, "Don't worry, though. Even though you won't remember, this meeting has been etched into your heart already, hasn't it? Someone like you makes connections almost instantaneously and that will make sure you take my words to heart."

As the last bit of the memory faded from Sora's mind, he finished, "Destiny has something big in store for you, Sora. And I'm going to make sure you see it through. After all, you deserve a reward for defeating that old man, don't you?"

Finished with the quick memory wipe, he drew back his hand. Not before ruffling the dazed kid's hair one more time.

"You're going to be one hell of a wildcard, aren't you kid?" Not that he minded. It will only make what's to come all the more interesting.

Stepping back, he faded back into the background and uttered his parting words.

"May your heart be your guiding key."

The instant the Master of Masters disappeared, time unfroze and Sora snapped out of his trance.

"Huh?" Sora felt like he was missing something, something important. However, the feeling of something in his hands distracted him. Spotting the necklace, his eyes widened. _What a cool necklace! I got to tell Riku and Kairi. _A small voice in his head asked where he found it in the first place, but that didn't matter! He had to show it to his friends!

As he started to run towards them to show off his new find, a sense of unease hit him. Looking down at the necklace again, he had this vague feeling that it was _really_ important. Maybe he won't tell them, at least not yet. Putting the necklace in his pocket, he ran over to his friends, ready to play some more!

* * *

Eleven years later, in a world of bright colors and completely void of life, a sixteen year old Sora woke up on the wet pavement, confused and a little scared. He had commit a sin, made a great sacrifice. And now he was all alone.

Standing on the edge of one of the towering skyscrapers, the Master of Masters looked down at his new guest. Smiling under the hood, he looked to the moon and held his hands out until they were in the shape of a heart.

Chuckling to himself, he said, "I told you we meet again, Sora. So long as you have that pendant. After all, we can't keep destiny waiting, can we?"


End file.
